Hoshi ni Negai wo
2019 / 118m - Japan
Horror, Drama
4.0*/5.0*
When You Wish Upon a Star poster

Plot: Eve is a young girl trying to deal with past trauma. She was abandoned by her mother, she never knew her father and she ended up working as a prostitute to get through life. She has a returning dream where she murders one of her old school pals, a grizzly affair that leaves her shaken whenever she wakes up. For that reason, she goes to see a shrink, who slowly starts digging into Eve's past. Doing so, she brings the evil that is locked up deep inside Eve into the real world. Meanwhile, Eve's dad is still on

Watches

December 08, 2023

4.0*/5.0*

A rather peculiar mix of drama and genre cinema. Because Sasaki is known as a horror director the film has been promoted as such, but this is in essence a character portrait fleshed out with various genre elements (and yes, that includes horror). Solid performances and pointed styling help the film stand out, but there's this very visceral and raw energy that really sets this one apart. It's a film by a director with something to say, and no one to reign in or filter his message. A very strong feature by Sasaki, who delivers on the potential he showed before.